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NEWS RELEASE |
Come by and see a demo of Fin Fin Story Book at Booth # 4373 in the West Hall |
| Contacts: Mary Lynn Slattery | Kelly Cytron |
| Fujitsu Interactive | UpStart Communications |
| 415.538.2935 | 510.420.7986 |
| mslattery@fii.fujitsu.com | kcytron@upstart.com |
ATLANTA, Georgia, (E3 Show) June 19, 1997 In May, "Fin Fin on Teo, the Magic Planet" Fujitsu Interactive's debut CD-ROM title featuring the world's first Artificial Life-based virtual companion with "feelings," began arriving in stores across the U.S. Today, Fujitsu Interactive debuted the next title in the Fin Fin series, "Fin Fin Story Book," at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Atlanta.
The interactive storybook adds a second way for children to experience the beloved flying dolphin: as a virtual pet with which to develop a relationship, and now as a character in an animated story that expresses an important lesson about how to get along with other beings. This product will be available to consumers in September, in plenty of time for the holidays.
"I love what I do," Fin Fin explained through spokesperson Naoko Koike-Climer, Producer for Fujitsu Interactive. "I love when people come to their computer to visit me and I even do backflips and sing when I make friends with them. But," the virtual creature added, "I also want to show the world- both of our worlds- that I have more to offer to children. This storybook gives me a new opportunity to entertain America's kids while teaching them about the value of friendship."
With 3D animation sequences, interactive screens containing over 100 clickable animation bits, and a compelling story in rhymed couplets that is both narrated and presented in text for young readers, the Fin Fin Story Book follows the adventures of a boy named Jack. Jack shares the desire of many kids who wish they could burst through the computer screen to be in the same world with Fin Fin, so he builds a homemade spaceship and rockets to Teo in the hopes of finding Fin Fin and bringing him back to Earth. But Jack learns that friendliness wins over selfishness any day, and that the way to appreciate Teo's creatures is to enjoy them in their natural habitat.
The electronic pop-up storybook features not only Fin Fin and Jack but also the full panoply of Teo's rich and exotic ecosystem, including bird-like creatures, animals and fish and as well as an array of unusual flowering plants. Here's a handful of examples:
As the first CD-ROM title developed start-to-finish by Fujitsu Interactive, Fin Fin Story Book builds on the beloved character developed in the labs of parent company Fujitsu, Ltd., Japan's largest computer maker. "Beloved" may seem a strange word for a being that "lives" in a computer, but that was part of the intention behind the development of Fin Fin. Besides the massive investment in time and money that went toward research into Artificial Life and related technologies, the key to Fin Fin's success as an emotionally believable character is his appearance. He was designed to be a creature with which children could identify, toward whom they could empathize. A combination of "cuteness" and an ability to register feelings visibly is one key to his appeal to children.
Another key is the sheer beauty of the 3D animation and the otherworldly splendor of the sound and music. Fujitsu Interactive has taken the results of its parent
company's work Fin Fin, his fellow Teo critters, and the exquisitely detailed and complete world of Teo itself and added new creations, such as Jack and his spaceship, with the same rigorous artistic approach. The Fin Fin Story Book creative team includes an impressive roster of film and 3D animators, children's software developers, screenwriters, sound designers and composers, digital musicians, video game developers and software engineers. All are geared toward the same goal: engaging children's imaginations with 3D graphics so beautiful and lush with eye-popping color that kids can't help but be drawn in, characters that kids care about and want to watch, and music that captures the spirit of another world.
Fin Fin Story Book runs on the following systems with these requirements:
PC System: Windows 95: 486/66 MHz or higher, 8 MB RAM (recommended 16 MB RAM); 256 color display; double-speed CD-ROM drive; 16-bit sound card.
Macintosh System: 68040 or higher; 8 MB RAM (recommended 16 MB RAM);
256 color display; System 7.1 or later; double-speed CD-ROM drive.
Fujitsu Interactive's corporate mission is to be a world leader in publishing innovative current and next-generation computer-based multimedia software, with a focus on development in its pioneering new category, "Artificial Life." The company's long-term goal is to redefine and transform the computer-user interface and the computing experience from interactive to experiential enabling users actually to build a relationship with computer characters through Artificial Life technology.
Incorporated in May 1996 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Fujitsu Interactive, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujitsu, Ltd., Japan's largest computer company.
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Copyright (c)1997 Fujitsu Limited. All rights reserved. Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited. Fujitsu Interactive, the Fujitsu Interactive logo, Fin Fin on Teo the Magic Planet(TM), Fin Fin Story Book(TM), Fin Fin(TM), SmartSensor(TM) and See the World By Train(TM) are trademarks of Fujitsu Interactive, Inc. Microsoft, Microsoft Windows and the Microsoft Windows logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Made with Macromedia(TM) is a trademark of Macromedia Inc. Quicktime(TM) and the Quicktime(TM) logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Fin Fin Story Book code library copyright(c) 1997 Brian Kromrey and Marc Blanchard, used under license. See the World by Train copyright 1995-1997 TV Asahi, Telecom Staff, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.